Shrapnel
by Lightening sparks
Summary: The Avengers are assigned a mission, escort billionaire weapons designer Tony Stark through Afganistan. For a Team that defended Manhattan from an alien invasion, this was a wark in the park. How wrong could they be...?


Steve couldn't help but stare at the Billionaire with a look of utter disgust. When he'd heard that Howard had a son, he'd been ecstatic that some part of him had lived on past his death. And when he'd heard of the mission to escort him through Afghanistan, he'd forced the other Avengers to take the more low key mission, wanting to pay Howard back for all he had done.  
Right now though, he was regretting his decision.

All Stark had done was drink, and play random noises at terrifying volumes, insisting that it was music. Steve was just glad that Natasha wasn't in the humvee with them, as he was sure the Billionaire would've become a passing memory within minutes.

Hawkeye was perched on the roof of their vehicle. A few Humvees back, Thor was too. Banner was backup. But in all honesty, none of them expected any trouble that they couldn't handle. It was probably just Stark's secretary overestimating the situation.

"I feel like you're driving me to a court-martial," Stark finally said after an awkward silence that lasted too long. "This is crazy. What did I do? I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff me." Stark turned to Steve. "What, are we not allowed to talk Spangles?"

"We can talk." Steve answered evenly, a hint of venom blossoming in his voice a the nickname. "But my name is not Spangles."

"Well then what is it Spangles?" Tony asked mockingly.

Steve's jaw tensed further at the nickname. "Steve." he muttered through clenched teeth. "Steve Rogers."

"So you're the original Captain America?" Stark spat, sitting up straight in his seat, and glaring over at the man next to him.

"So you know who I am?" Steve questioned.

"Of course I know who you are. Even if my Dad didn't go on about you enough, I would know who you are. Captain America, the American patriot, world's first hero." Stark snarled back, his reaction taking Steve by surprise as only a moment ago he'd been joking around.

"Stuck in ice for 84 years... You're practically a Capsicle." The Billionaire continued with a chuckle. "Get it? Capsicle?"

A frown tugged in Steve's lips. He hated bullies, and it seemed Tony a Stark was no different than the ones he'd faced back in Brooklyn.

He opened his mouth to retort, but barely got past the first syllable before the humvee ahead of them burst into an inferno of flames.

From that point on it was chaos. Steve watched, distraught as the young soldiers put their life on the line for the billionaire - who in the commotion had spilt his drink down his dress shirt, that no doubt was obscenely expensive.

"Get down!" The super soldier yelled, roughly dragging Stark down with him.

The billionaire scowled and shrugged off Steve's tenacious hold on his suit jacket. "Watch it, Spangles!" He warned, "This is-" Stark didn't get to finish his sentence, or rather, Steve didn't get to hear the rest as another explosion went off, momentarily deafening Steve.

But that didn't deter Captain America, who focused on unsheathed his shield, and turning towards Stark. For a second Steve could've sworn he saw something flickered in the younger Stark's eyes once his brown hues focused on his shield. However, whatever that emotion was, it disappeared not even a moment later.

Steve kicked open the Humvee's door, bringing up his shield just in time for bullets to ricochet off it. "Hey, wait!" The billionaire protested behind him, obviously under the impression that Steve was abandoning him. "Give me a gun!" Stark shouted again as the humvee rumbled and shook beneath them.

Steve couldn't resist rolling his eyes at that. Stark might be a weapons designer, but there was no way Steve was giving an untrained civilian a gun. "Get behind me!" Cap yelled back, and surprisingly Stark obeyed without hesitation. 'He's probably just trying to save his own skin'... Steve thought, 'not that I blame him though'

The super soldier shook his head. He didn't have time to be pondering Stark's actions, right now keeping him alive was a top priority, and in order to do that, he needed to regroup with the rest of the Avengers.

Steve jumped out the humvee, blocking a spray of bullets with his shield before returning the favor by bouncing his shield off their faces, somehow managing to catch it just as he jumped in front of Stark - who seemed to be wandering almost aimlessly in the middle of a war zone - essentially saving his life.

Steve tapped into the comm system but was greeted with nothing but static. He muttered under his breath. Okay, scratch the first plan, focus on protecting Stark until the siege was over... Speaking of Stark...

Cap glanced behind him, only to find no trace of the Billionaire he was supposed to be escorting. "Stark!?" He yelled over the sound of gunfire, the man had to go and get himself shot, didn't he? Another difference between Howard and his son. Howard wouldn't endanger himself like this, Howard would-

He cut himself off when he spotted a man in a suit and tie running behind the Humvee. Stark... Steve cursed and began the pursuit of the rogue Billionaire. It didn't take him too long to finally locate him though, cowering behind a boulder and looking down at... his Phone?!

"Stark? What are you doing?" Hissed the now pissed off super soldier.

"What- Oh, hey Capsicle, you were a bit slow so I-" the snarky man began, a fake grin already plastered across his face.

"Slow? What are you-" Another spray of bullets caught him off guard. He whirled out the way, shield up, desperately scanning for his attacker.

Suddenly the world blinked, and stars danced before his eyes. Pain pulsated just above his brow and when he finally redeemed his senses he was being punched.

Steve allowed himself to be knocked back, before twisting and launching a kick into his attacker's side. While they were winded, he landed the finishing blow with his vibranium shield. The attacker crumpled like paper mache, falling to the ground, and not moving.

"Stark...!" Steve hollered, as he turned, spotting the billionaire a few dozen feet away, before sighing. Doesn't he see this is a life or death situation? Why is he being so aggravati- His eyes widened, horror contorting his features as his gaze followed a fast falling object from the sky.

"Don't worry Capsicle, I'm just calling in reinforcements." The billionaire finally replied, eyes diverted to the screen. Not aware of the projectile that was plummeting from the sky towards him.

"No- Missile! Get down-" Steve screamed back, terror catching in his throat, as he was frozen in place. He'd only just met Stark and yes, he was extremely aggravating. But Steve couldn't just stand by and let him die.

Tony's eyes flicked up a second too late.

Infact, he was just in time to see the missile with his name on it plant itself in the ground next to him. A look of pure despair morphed his face. After all, he'd been the one to design this missile. If anyone knew what it was capable of it was him. So that's why he knew that if he didn't move now, he and his million dollar suit would be a disfigured corpse strewn across the sand.

He scrambled back, his heart pummelling against his ribcage at an insane pace, hands trembling with fear, mind blank. But it was still too late. The shrapnel didn't hesitate to rip through his bulletproof vest, and provide him with some nice and fatal injuries.

Steve flung himself forwards, but he was too far away from the billionaire to somehow shove him out of the bomb's radius. He could only watch from a disgruntled heap on the floor as Howard's only son was impaled by shards of shrapnel. His eyes caught Tony as he went airborne, and he could only wince once Stark hit the ground.

Pushing himself up, Cap stumbled towards Stark, his shield forgotten on the sand behind him. When he was closer, he could make out Stark's shaking hands fumbling with his once crisp and white dress shirt - now stained an unforgiving colour of red.

Steve skidded to the now distraught billionaire's side just as the dress shirt was torn open, revealing a bulletproof vest... that was sticky with blood that was gushing through. Steve cursed, knowing how bad this was, before glancing up and meeting Tony's gaze. For a moment they both shared the same hopeless stare, before the "Merchant of Death"'s head flopped back.

"Stark? Stark! Stark...!" Steve hissed, his voice becoming increasingly louder as he shook the unresponsive billionaire.

Cap fumbled with his comm again. Despite the noisy static he desperately yelled into the comm. "Hello? Can anybody copy? Stark's down! I repeat Stark's down..."

Steve was unwilling to leave the Billionaire's side. He couldn't just leave the fatally injured man alone. But his shield hadn't been too far from Stark so he quickly retraced his steps and sure enough, there it was. Cap sheathed his shield, suddenly aware of the tense silence that encompassed him. He ducked behind the humvee. This silence could mean one of two things, either they'd won, or the more despairing answer... They'd lost.

He carefully peeked around the Humvee, and his jaw almost dropped at the scene before him. All four of the other Avengers kneeling on the hot sand - with the exception of Banner, who had shifted back into human and was currently unconscious, and very naked.

To his right he glimpsed a rag doll like figure slumped between two men. He could only guess the figure's tattered clothing was what remained of Stark's picturesque suit. If they had the billionaire, this could only mean...

There was a click behind him. Steve turned his head. Five terrorist stood with dangerous looking Stark weapons pointed at his temple. One of the five was even cocky enough to nudge the Captain's wounded temple with the barrel of a machine gun as he spoke in another language, which sounded like complete nonsense to Steve. Before one of them, in what sounded like very limited English said "Come now, Captain. Or your team dies." The threat was short and abrupt, but enough to make Steve shiver with rage.

Captain America looked one of them in the eye. He grasped his shield with his right hand, "I don't like bullies."

...

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks to The Random Writer 4.0 for helping me with this. Wow I actually remembered...

Anyway please leave review if you liked it or tel me how to improve. (Or whatever you want...)

-Lightening sparks


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